In the past years, with the rise of social media, we witness a scary trend unfold right in front of our eyes: the series of social media challenges. Videos showing teenagers putting their lives in danger have been surfacing the Internet and it is getting out of hand. These dangerous challenges have resulted in serious injuries, even deaths.
Here are some of the most dangerous social media challenges in the past years.
The Blue Whale Challenge
This horrifying game encourages users to accomplish certain tasks and eventually commit suicide. This sick trend entails having users finish 50 tasks in total, which include self-harming tasks, watching scary movies, and waking up in the middle of the night. Tasks become harder and harder with the passage of time, and towards the end of the 50 days that the challenge is supposed to be finished, participants are prompted to harm themselves and commit suicide. Some experts believe that the challenge started out as a sensationalized hoax; however, it posed great a danger to teenagers as it invites copycat groups.
Momo Challenge
Speaking of copycat, the “Momo” challenge came after the Blue Whale challenge. Similarly, this disturbing trend is believed to have started on Facebook and spread around via WhatsApp. In this sick game, players are urged by a creepy character, whose avatar depicts a haunting image of a woman with long hair and bulging eyes, to complete certain challenges and commit suicide in the end. Two teenagers in South America died by suicide and were found to have messages related to the game on their phones.
Car Surfing Challenge
This deadly trend involves balancing on top of a vehicle being driven by another person. Naturally, almost all challengers end up seriously injured or dead.
The Kiki Challenge
Another social media challenge that involves a car is the Kiki Challenge, which involves hopping out of a moving car and dancing to the tune of Drake’s “In My Feelings” while the car continues to move. Needless to say, this challenge endangers the life of the one dancing, as well as anyone else who happens to be on the road.
The Bird box Challenge
Inspired by one of Netflix originals, the Bird box Challenge involves blindfolding oneself while doing daily tasks. Teenagers took the challenge to the extreme; in fact, a girl from Utah ended up losing control of her car after putting her beanie over her eyes while driving.
The Fire Challenge
The objective of this perilous challenge is to purposely set the person on fire with the purpose of testing one’s endurance and posting the video online and gain likes and shares. In 2014, a teen drenched himself in nail polish remover and flicked a lighter giving him second and third degree burns on his neck and waist.
The Pass-out Challenge
This challenge goes by other names such as “The Choking Game” and the “Space Monkey Challenge” and its goal is to intentionally cut off oxygen to the brain long enough to experience a short period of euphoria, and at times, loss of consciousness. The CDC has evidence to back up a claim that between 1995 and 2008, 82 teenagers have died in the US as a result of this challenge.
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